Chapter 28

Tonan Fall Festival: Sunday, Day Three, Part One

"Must you bring every camera in your arsenal?" Naoki asked his mother through gritted teeth as assorted Iries and one Aihara walked into the Tennis Club booth mid-afternoon.

"Don't be such a party pooper!" His mother chided him as her camera clicked several times in succession. She craned her neck in all directions. "Where is Kotoko-chan?"

"Hello, Mrs. Irie!" Matsumoto glided over to greet Naoki's family. "Are you here to experience Tonan Fall Festival today?"

"Obviously," Naoki muttered under his breath.

Mrs. Irie raised her chin. "Yes, I am so excited that Kotoko-chan and Naoki-kun are celebrating together! Where is she?"

Matsumoto smiled. "Don't you know? Aihara-san isn't helping out the Tennis Club. She has abandoned us for her other club…and her other man!"

"You lie!" Mrs. Irie glared at her.

"No, I don't. She has a perfectly comical looking man that she is seeing now." Mr. Irie, Mr. Aihara, and Yuuki nodded in unison at that statement, and Kinnosuke, leaning sideways towards the Tennis Club booth, hollered, "Boss, that's what I told you!"

"Tha-that's just a-a passing fancy!" sputtered Mrs. Irie. "My son and Kotoko-chan are exTREMEly devoted to each other! They're just going through a rough patch right now. Soon everything will be resolved and that person will be nothing more than a distant memory. Mark my words!"

"Oh, I disagree! It's much more serious than that. He's so possessive, I'm quite carried away. Not only does he walk her to class every morning, but he has his equally awkward friends guard her when he's not around."

Mrs. Irie was so infuriated that her hair started quivering. "That is a load of—"

"But if you're worried about your son, you needn't be," Matsumoto continued smoothly. "With me around, Irie-kun is less than devastated."

"Go ahead. Talk about me as if I'm not here," Naoki spoke to the tent's roof, since none of its occupants were paying him any mind.

"As if he would be interested in a calculating little minx such as you!" Mrs. Irie stood with hands on her hips.

"Unlike the simpering idiot that you prefer, at least I am his equal in looks and intelligence!" countered Matsumoto.

"I will never give my approval—"

"If you're not going to order anything, would you please get out of the way?!" roared Naoki. His mother stood frozen, her finger still pointed in the air in a commanding fashion. "And Kotoko can be found at the Anime Club booth, as can your computers and employees, Father. Turn right and go 100 meters."

As the family members moved away, he let out a sigh when his mother aimed her camera at him for a few last shots before berating her husband. "What does he mean? Computers? Employees? Are you supporting Onii-chan's rivals?!"


"Welcome!" Kotoko jumped and waved as her family approached. "You've come to see us!" She pulled Kato and Po, who were on duty with her, towards the group. "Obasama, Ojisama, Otosan, Yuuki-chan, may I present my friends Aizawa Hana and Kato Toshiyuki from the Anime Club." She turned. "Po-chan, Kato-kun, here are my father Aihara Shigeo, Irie Noriko, Irie Shigeki, and Irie Yuuki. Po-chan graduated with me from Tonan High and Kato-kun designed the Kotorin character for the anime and the video game. "

"Kato-kun?" Mrs. Irie peered at him closely and startled him by taking a picture suddenly.

"Ah, uh, yes," he stammered, "Kotori-nee has been a great addition to our club. We don't know what we'd do without her."

Now it was Mr. Aihara who examined him intently. "Kotori-nee?" he asked. Then he muttered to himself, "String bean?!"

"You're in luck," Kato said. "The movie will be starting in a few minutes. I'll make sure you all get good seats."

"I don't want to see any movie starring that baka," grumbled Yuuki. "I'd rather play the video game."

"Well, you can do that," said Tanaka, walking up to the group, "but I have to warn you that the game stars Kotori-nee also." Ignoring Yuuki's steady stare at his streaked hair, he proceeded to re-introduce himself to Mr. Irie and bow to the others as Kotoko named them.

"Kotori-nee, again?" murmured Mr. Aihara while Mrs. Irie snapped a quick picture of the newcomer.

Emi and Aoki exited the theatre building at that time and came over. Mr. Irie's and Mr. Aihara's eyes widened and they began elbowing each other and whispering, "It's him!" to each other.

"How is our stock of photo paper holding up, Kato? Oh, pardon me, Irie-sama," as Aoki bowed to Mr. Irie. "Perhaps you remember me, Aoki Takeshi?"

"Ah, yes, I thought you looked familiar when we met at Pandai," Mr. Irie managed.

Aoki's eyebrows flew up briefly in question as introductions began again. Meanwhile, Kotoko counted the printer sheets and Kato made some quick calculations.

"Aoki, we will definitely run out after this showing. Should we purchase some more?" he asked.

The club president thought a moment then answered, "No, we'll stop the photo-ops once we run out. Kotori-nee, you can enjoy the festival after that, but make sure to return before the pageant."

Because Kotoko squealed so loudly and began jumping up and down, no one noticed that Mrs. Irie's camera was again clicking away.

"Kotoko-chan!" Mrs. Irie called out. "Have you been posing for pictures all three days?"

"Yes," she laughed. "And I have smiled and been hugged hundreds of times."

"The best shots were with that flirty kendo dude. They pretended to be dueling with his sword and her racquet," Emi chimed in.

"That was fun," Kotoko smiled.

"Too bad you burst his bubble by refusing to go out with him!"

"How popular you must be!" Mrs. Irie gushed with hands clasped in front of her. "Have you taken a picture with my son yet?"

"No, ah, Irie-kun is busy with the Tennis Club booth and hasn't been wandering around," Kotoko told his mother.

"Busy—hmph! They are just taking advantage of him and his culinary talent! I think it is a plot of that vixen with hair extensions to keep him from you!" Mrs. Irie observed.

"I don't think Matsumoto-san has hair—" Kotoko began.

"Yes, Kotoko-chan has been very popular," Emi spoke up. "How many people from Nerima College have signed up on your website?"

"Seven," Kotoko mumbled, "and two from Chiyoda, plus four more from our college. I am going to be so busy next term."

"Even more exciting, some students returned for extra photos with her, and several have even asked for her autograph on the photo."

"How thrilling!" Mrs. Irie noted. "Just like a celebrity! Yuuki-kun, why don't you take a picture with Kotoko-chan and have her sign it for you?"

"Won't do it," he sulked. "I don't wanna take a picture with a baka who couldn't write her own name in kanji until high school." He stuck out his tongue and pulled his eyelid down before stomping off to the computers. Tanaka, with a shrug and a smile, followed him.

"Not true!" Kotoko called after him. "It was middle school!"